The Faculty of Making Fortunate Discoveries by Accident
by Wordwielder
Summary: Peter Parker meets a beautiful girl named Mary Jane Watson. AU series, with each chapter a new way they meet. T for future chapters, probably.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've decided to do an AU series of MJ and Peter's first meeting. I'd love to hear any ideas you guys have! They'll probably all be fairly short, and all include the famous MJ line: "Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!"**

Peter's doodling on the cover of his binder. He's set for this class. He probably did all the dissections they'll do this year when he was twelve. He'll still enjoy it, sure, and it'll be an easy GPA boost. Connors is a nice guy, and a great teacher. Maybe if he's really, really lucky, Connors will grant his unanswered prayers and make his lab partner Gwen Stacy, a very pretty blonde girl and the one threat to Peter's valedictorian status. For once, he wouldn't have to do all the work, and he might even get a date out of it.

Connors calls his name. He's reading off lab partners. "Pete—you'll be with Mary Jane here."

Peter looks up, trying to not to look disappointed. Then, wow. He's _so _not. The girl has long red hair flying behind her as she stands up to sit next to him. She's wearing a fuchsia sweater that should clash horribly with her hair, by all laws of reason Peter has been taught, but instead it brings out the bright flush of her cheeks and the shining green of her eyes.

"Hi, I'm MJ!" she chirps. "I can hand you test tubes and stuff. I'm sorry, science isn't my thing, but I'll help."

"That's, that's good," Peter stammers out. "Science_is_ my thing," he grins at her. "We've got this."

She winks. "Face it, Tiger," she says, "You just hit the jackpot."


	2. Chapter 2

Peter's pressed against a locker, contemplating the damage Flash Thompson's fist is about to do to his face in about ten seconds when he hears a loud voice with just an edge of a New York accent.

"Hello, boys, what's going on over here? Looks like a real party, but there can't ever be a party without me."

Flash looks over his shoulder and releases Peter's shirt. He's still boxed in by Flash's football goons, or he'd try to make a run while Flash is distracted.

"Uh, hey, MJ," Flash says, smiling and running his hand through his hair in that sickening casual way that makes girl salivate. "What's up?"

There's a redheaded girl carrying a dance bag standing there, wearing red lipstick and a purple t-shirt slipping off a freckled shoulder. Her hands are on her hips, and her eyes are flashing. She ignores Flash beyond a contemptuous glance. "Well, hi, Peter," she says casually. "We've never met, but my friend Liz knows you. She tells me you're the smartest kid she knows. That true? be honest, now."

"Well, um, I don't know-"

She rolls her eyes. "I said honest, not modest."

"I guess," he mutters.

"Well, in that case, would you like to be my calculus tutor? I'm hopeless."

"I- sure?"

"Well, perfect! If you're not too busy with these_ lovely_ people-" She cast a disdainful glance at Flash, "how's right now to start? I'll buy you a cheeseburger from O'Malley's as payment."

"Yeah, I love that place," he blurts out. "It's really close to my house."

"Mine too! I live in Forest Hills."

"Me too!"

"Small world," she exclaimed. "I appreciate the help. See, boys," MJ explained. "Peter's smart. He's probably going to be your boss one day, so if I were you, I'd leave him alone from now on if you don't want to be working every Christmas ten years from now. You ready to get out of here, tiger?"

It takes him a full second to realize she means _him_.

She smiles at the guys around him. "Move, so Pete can get by."

They move, stunned.

"And Flash? I think we won't be going out on Friday after all. Matt, Kong, Dalton- you never had a chance, no matter how smooth you thought you were. I'll see you boys around." She sashays off, and he watches her movements for a second before he follows, tripping over his feet to catch up.

She pulls her hair from its ponytail, shakes out her hair, and grins at him. Her earlier smiles had been charming and dangerous. This is bright and warm and _dazzling_. "You alright there, tiger?"

"Yeah, I'm- I owe you one, MJ."

"Oh, no big deal. I don't like arrogant jerks like that pushing cool people like you around."

"Cool?" Peter laughs. "Not the first word I would use to describe myself."

"You're definitely cool. I can tell these things," she assures him. "I really do need your help with calculus, though. I'm awful. My friend Gwen- you know Gwen, I'm sure, she's pretty wonderful- she keeps trying to help me, but I just don't get it."

"I'll try my best," Peter promises. "My friend Harry says I'm a good tutor."

She perks up. "Oh, Harry Osborn?"

"Yeah. Do you know him?"

"Oh, yes, he's in a few of my classes. He's been a doll, taken me out a few times. I'm new, you know," she explains. "I just moved in with my Aunt Anna."

"Anna Watson?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, it really is a small world. She's a friend of my aunt's- May Parker- she lives next door to us! I knew her niece was moving in, Aunt May was making me come over to introduce myself this week- I can't believe I haven't seen you around before now."

"It's been _crazy._I moved from Philly- it's just- family stuff. Crazy stuff, I won't bore you," she said quickly. "I haven't been out as much as I normally would. But you're my neighbor! What a coincidence! This makes Queens better."

"Forest Hills is great, you're going to love it," Peter tells her. "I'll show you around. If you want."

She grins at him again. Her eyes are green. They had seemed much darker before. "I'd love that, Petey Boy. God, I'm starving. I'm serious about that cheeseburger. Let's go."

"Okay," he found himself grinning back at her.

"Our first date," she teases. "You just hit the jackpot, tiger."

He's pretty sure he has.


	3. Chapter 3

It's somewhere around one in the morning and Peter is fairly sure he's imagining the knocking at the door until it gets more insistent. He stumbles off the couch and swings the door open. "Yeah?" he asks blearily.

"Hi!" she says brightly, and he blinks. "I'm so sorry, I know it's late."

She's wearing a turquoise blue concoction of feathers and sequins that after it stops assaulting your eyes is kind of pretty. But highly out of place in this bland apartment complex hallway.

"I just got off work," she says, "And I'm locked out of my apartment."

"Are you 3B then?" he asks. "My roommate Harry told me you moved in."

"Yep, that's me! I can't find my key, and well, I thought about waking up the super for another, but I don't want to make him too mad yet. Then I remembered Harry told me to drop by if I ever needed anything. You must be Peter! He mentioned you. Is he here?"

Peter feels a distressing flash of jealousy that Harry's already impressed this girl. He didn't even leave him half a chance.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Mary Jane! People call me MJ."

"Nice to meet you, MJ," he says. "Come in. Um, do you want anything?"

"Oh, just to use your phone. Oh, gosh, will a locksmith be open?" She sits on the couch and starts to kick off her frighteningly high heels. It's remarkable she can walk with such grace in those.

"Probably not," Peter tells her.

She groans. "I guess I will have to wake up Mr. Zarkofski."

"You can sleep here," Peter offers without thinking. Oh, wonderful. A pretty face and he's already giving up his bed.

"Really! Thanks, Pete! Harry told me you were just a doll. Do you have a toothbrush I can borrow?"

He leads her to his bathroom. "They're under the sink. You can shower if you want. I'm sorry, I only have guy shampoo."

"I love guy shampoo," she winks. "Thanks, tiger." She pushes him out of his bathroom and he hears the water turn on. He waits until the water turns off again and knocks. She's started singing a jazzy show tune. She has a nice voice. "I'm leaving some pajamas out here for you," he calls. "I'll be in the living room."

She breaks off in the middle of a line and says, "Thanks, Petey. I'm almost done here."

She comes in the living a lot less sparkly and surprisingly just as dazzling, in his ESU sweatshirt and too wide across the hips flannel bottoms. She plops down on the couch next to him and leans back. "Ah, yes, this'll do nicely."

"You can have my bed," he offers. "It's cool."

"Nah, this is fabulous. Cozy."

"Really, you're our guest. I'd offer you Harry's bed, but who knows when he'll get in…"

"You're eager to get me in your bed, aren't you, tiger?" she teases, and he turns red, and she laughs.

"Guess chivalry isn't dead after all," she says, then stands up and stretches. "You coming?"

He sputters; she chuckles.

"Face it, tiger. Me in your bed? You just hit the jackpot. Have fun sleeping out here alone!" She prances into his room and leaps into his bed, the door slamming shut behind her.

Dammit. His pillow and favorite blanket are in here.

And judging from the floaty laugh from the other side of the door, she knows it just as well as he does.

Harry is going to be very surprised tomorrow morning, Peter thinks.


	4. Chapter 4

He opens the door to a redhead with a cheetah print headband. She opens her mouth, and he cuts her off quickly, seeing the flyers in her hand. Aunt May can't stand to refuse Jehovah's witnesses, even though she's sure as hell not going to convert. She usually distracts them with cookies and small talk, but they're determined, and they stay for hours in his kitchen so he can't even get a snack without being dragged into the conversation about his soul and its eternal salvation.

"We have already been saved by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," he says rapidly and tries to shut the door. She grabs it with her free hand.

"Well, that's great for you, but I'm not a Jehovah's witness, tiger."

"Oh," he blushes. "Sorry. My aunt, she's a big softy, she always lets them in."

"So you were preemptively trying to prevent an invasion?" she smirks. "Listen, I'm just passing out flyers for the community theatre. We're doing a matinee production of Annie to benefit an orphanage in Brooklyn. It's a three tomorrow." She holds out a flyer expectantly, and he takes it.

"Are you in it?" he inquires.

"The sun'll come out tomorrow," she answers sagely, then grins. "You're looking at Annie. Anyway, you and your aunt should come."

"We'll be there," he promises.

She laughs and starts down the porch. "You just hit the jackpot, tiger! You just met a _star_!" she bats her lashes and him and walks briskly to knock on his neighbor's door.

"Wow," he murmurs, flipping through the program.

MARY JANE WATSON as ANNIE! The front proclaims.

And underneath, Miss Watson herself has signed his copy—along with her phone number.


	5. Chapter 5

"See, I'd go to Wal-Mart," Harry says, reclining as much as he can in the uncomfortable school chairs and swearing when he cracks his back. "Why aren't we one of those hippie schools that have bean bag chairs?"

"You've got money, buy us some," Peter rolls his eyes. "Wal-Mart is way too exposed. Think how many entrances there are. How would you keep the zombies out?"

"Okay, but it has tons of ammo," Harry counters. "And food."

"I'd go to a factory. Way easier to defend, plus there's bound to be supplies there."

Harry's opening his mouth to argue when a voice behind them speaks up. "I'd go to a small grocery store with a pharmacy. There'd be tons of supplies. Plus when everyone gets the plague, you can access all the meds."

Peter turns around to see a girl he vaguely recognizes. He thinks she might be friends with Gwen Stacy, who Peter is friendly with.

Harry cocks his head. "Mary Jane, right?"

"Guilty as charged," she replies cheerfully.

"What would you do for defense?" Peter asks.

She twists her mouth. "I always pictured myself knocking heads off with shovels," she replies. "You'd have to get in closer, but you wouldn't need to reload it. What about you?"

Peter shrugs. "I think I'd be more behind the scenes. The guy working on the cure and amputating infected limbs and stuff."

"A scientist, eh?" she grins. "You can join my zombie apocalypse team."

"I'm honored," Peter replies.

"Alright, let's get started," Connors calls. Peter smiles at MJ and turns around.

"Face it Tiger," MJ whispers. "You just hit the jackpot."

He grins like an idiot and kicks Harry under the table when he starts laughing.


End file.
